Source: WECT
North Carolina is adding a new tool to the state’s fight against the sprawling national mental health and addiction crises called the Peer Warmline, which connects North Carolinians to a non-emergency line staffed by fellow NC residents in recovery from mental illness and/or substance abuse.
The positive effect of peer-to-peer support has long been advocated by groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Studies examining the effect of peer support on addressing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) found that it reduced rates of relapse, increased satisfaction with treatment, and increased treatment retention.
“When you’re in a tough spot, sometimes the best person to talk with is a person who has had similar experiences,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley via press release. “The Peer Warmline expands our behavioral health crisis system in North Carolina toward the goal of meeting people where they are and helping prevent crises in the first place.”
The program comes at a critical moment as Gov. Roy Cooper invests $1 billion in fighting North Carolina’s substance abuse and mental health crisis as deaths by overdose and youth suicide rates continue to rise. Rural areas such as Robeson are especially impacted by substance abuse, experiencing a 49% increase in drug overdose deaths from 2019 to 2021 compared to the 22% average statewide.
The statewide Peer Warmline will be operated by the Promise Resource Network (PRN), a peer-run organization based in Mecklenburg County. The hotline was launched on February 22nd and can be reached at 1-855-PEERS NC (1-855-733-7762), at 988Lifeline.org, or via the 988 suicide hotline if callers prefer to speak with a peer. Like the 998 hotline, the warmline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
